Looking for first bandsaw in £1500-£2000 range

[Ttrees]

That practically new 20" Centauro is a lot more saw than the Startrite...
The Startrite is a bit light, one would presume at 160kg it would need to be mollycoddled compared to the Centauro,
The Centauro would be able to tension the blade more, amounting to less rubbing against the thrust guides whilst resawing.

I'm unsure if the SP range was always this heavy...
I wonder if Centauro make changes to their models here, whilst upgrading their Minimax line in the USA recently(ish)?
Other models on the cards...
Wadkin make a nice C500 machine
ACM make two models SNA and the SNAC ...
the SNA 500 is about 200kg whilst the less found SNAC 540 is a heavier saw, don't think its as heavy as that Centauro SP500 though.
Other Italian models include Agazzani, other Centauro machines like CO series
Meber, Griggio,SIPA and a few more I cant think of...
You can spot an Italian saw from a mile away.
Felder is based on the Italian design also...Italian saws have mostly interchangeable parts.

If I had your choice I would be looking for a clean 20" machine that's at least 200kg.
You should be able to get a nice clean one for 7 to 800 quid, yes it would need a VFD, meaning you wouldn't need to call the sparkie
to wire up 16a sockets, as the VFD can make it run off 13a plug instead.

Keep looking on eBay and if you haven't allready, search on gumtree for good deals also.
Use band saw in your keyword aswell as bandsaw

Good luck
Tom

 

[Nick.]

Laguna - I really like the look of them but can't find much feedback - but see that Yandles are stocking them soon.

Hi Dave, just for info the Laguna 14/12 will be in stock & displayed in retailers mid/late June.

No reviews here as it hasn't been launched in Europe yet. Plenty of reviews in USA though.

Whether it meets your criteria is your call of course.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[gwr]

I recently purchased the harvey bandsaw from axminster which requires a 16amp feed.it is a tad over budget but worth the extra imo It's not done a lot of work yet but what I have done I'm more than happy with it and for your resawing needs it should handle no problem.

 

[MikeJhn]

Unless the motor you are going to run off a 13amp supply is getting close to 4HP you do not need a 16amp supply, just the correct type of RCD and a dedicated circuit, or certainly one that will not be used by ANO whilst you are in the workshop.

 

[Bodgers]

Unless the motor you are going to run off a 13amp supply is getting close to 4HP you do not need a 16amp supply, just the correct type of RCD and a dedicated circuit, or certainly one that will not be used by ANO whilst you are in the workshop.

Startup current is high on these large induction motors. I assume when you say 'the right RCD' you mean one that responds slower so doesn't trip due to that startup peak?


Sent from my Redmi Note 5 using Tapatalk

 

[MikeJhn]

MCBs are offered in types B , C and D characteristics. Where normal resistive loads are being fed the type B characteristic may be sufficient but in many industrial application motors and special lighting and data equipment is being fed which may adversely affect the MCBs during starting and it will be necessary to use type C characteristic breakers.

In some cases even these MCBs may not be sufficient when Compressor motors are used and a type D MCB may be necessary. However, caution should be practised because the characteristics for these MCBs may make compliance with the Wiring Regulation difficult without a change in the specifications of the other equipment.

 

[Quickben]

Laguna - I really like the look of them but can't find much feedback - but see that Yandles are stocking them soon.

Hi Dave, just for info the Laguna 14/12 will be in stock & displayed in retailers mid/late June.

No reviews here as it hasn't been launched in Europe yet. Plenty of reviews in USA though.

Whether it meets your criteria is your call of course.

Cheers,
Nick

Hi Nick,

I see the 14/12 is priced at $1099 (£827 at today's rates) in the states before options and local taxes. How much will we have to pay for one here ?

I only ask because a lot of the time, especially in the photography world, products that are well priced in the US end up being over priced in the UK. This invariably puts them in the price range of the model above it's natural equivalent. I hope this isn't the case here as the 14/12 and 14/Bx compare well with Axminster bandsaws.

Gary.

 

[Yojevol]

Felder Hammer N4400 now available in your budget on the bay

 

[Nick.]

Hi Nick,

I see the 14/12 is priced at $1099 (£827 at today's rates) in the states before options and local taxes. How much will we have to pay for one here ?

Gary.

Hi Gary,

SSP is £1299 inc vat for the 14/12.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[shed9]

Felder Hammer N4400 now available in your budget on the bay

That vendor also has a Startrite 601S, over the budget but it has an offer button.

That thing looks like a beast.

 

[ndbrown]

You won't go far wrong with any of the Italian made machines, substantial build quality thats reflected in the weight which is typically 170kg +. Made for a trade environment and supported for a long time. Good resale values on single phase machines.
If it must be new then:
ACM 440 @ £1750 + vat comes in just slightly over at £2100 but there might be scope for a little negotiation and discount if you ask. These are the same machines that were previously made for Record under the Startrite name
Minimax S45n again list is slightly over your £2K budget but I have seen them as recently as January this year less than £2k including Vat. This is a saw I have personally owned for 6 years and I can vouch for reliability and build quality. My Minimax with a 2HP motor started fine from a standard 13A plug on a ring mains but above this motor size you will need a 16 dedicated supply.
Also Centauro, Agazzani, Griggio
Any of these Italian saws will properly tension blades at their maximum capacity as well and re-saw comfortably at their maximum capacity.
and may have a higher blade speed to accommodate this compared to the less expensive saws. Be careful of cutting capacity versus resaw capacity as the lower priced saws may start to struggle when you are regularly re-sawing at or towards max depth.
If you can go the ex dem or secondhand route then obviously you will see a bit more of a saving. Buying new, a decent, established supplier will be able to advise you accordingly as you are spending a lot of money.
Nigel

 

[Brtone]

Have you considered one of the old machines, Wadkin etc, you could get an awful lot of machine for your budget

 

[Beau]

You won't go far wrong with any of the Italian made machines, substantial build quality thats reflected in the weight which is typically 170kg +. Made for a trade environment and supported for a long time. Good resale values on single phase machines.
If it must be new then:
ACM 440 @ £1750 + vat comes in just slightly over at £2100 but there might be scope for a little negotiation and discount if you ask. These are the same machines that were previously made for Record under the Startrite name
Minimax S45n again list is slightly over your £2K budget but I have seen them as recently as January this year less than £2k including Vat. This is a saw I have personally owned for 6 years and I can vouch for reliability and build quality. My Minimax with a 2HP motor started fine from a standard 13A plug on a ring mains but above this motor size you will need a 16 dedicated supply.
Also Centauro, Agazzani, Griggio
Any of these Italian saws will properly tension blades at their maximum capacity as well and re-saw comfortably at their maximum capacity.
and may have a higher blade speed to accommodate this compared to the less expensive saws. Be careful of cutting capacity versus resaw capacity as the lower priced saws may start to struggle when you are regularly re-sawing at or towards max depth.
If you can go the ex dem or secondhand route then obviously you will see a bit more of a saving. Buying new, a decent, established supplier will be able to advise you accordingly as you are spending a lot of money.
Nigel

I would knock Griggio off that list. I had one and it was a very disappointing machine.

Cast steel table that wasn't near flat
The frame was not rigid enough to properly tension 3/4" blades
Poor guides for smaller blades
Very basic fence that could not be adjusted for drift

Sold it and replaced with an old Wadkin

 

[scubadoo]

I'm still trying to decide, and the Hammer N4400 that i really liked was out of my budget.

I recently purchased the harvey bandsaw from axminster which requires a 16amp feed.it is a tad over budget but worth the extra imo It's not done a lot of work yet but what I have done I'm more than happy with it and for your resawing needs it should handle no problem.

I'm not sure which one you mean when you say the Harvey bandsaw?

Have you considered one of the old machines, Wadkin etc, you could get an awful lot of machine for your budget

The problem is i don't have anyway of collecting and i'd struglle to get one in to my workshop on my own.

You won't go far wrong with any of the Italian made machines......ACM 440 @ £1750 + vat comes in just slightly over at £2100 but there might be scope for a little negotiation and discount if you ask. ........Minimax S45n again list is slightly over your £2K budget but I have seen them as recently as January this year less than £2k including Vat. This is a saw I have personally owned for 6 years and I can vouch for reliability and build quality.

Thanks I'll check them out.

That practically new 20" Centauro is a lot more saw than the Startrite...
Other models on the cards...
Wadkin make a nice C500 machine
ACM make two models SNA and the SNAC ...
the SNA 500 is about 200kg whilst the less found SNAC 540 is a heavier saw,

Thanks Tom, I'll check those out. The Centauro does look good but over budget at £2.5k and again I'd have the issue of getting it into the workshop.

The Hammer is just brilliant, well made, solid and true.
I just tried checking the current prices using my logon but they aren't showing up at present. If I remember rightly they seemed to be not that far off the Startrite equivalent sized saw.

That would be my choice but even with a package deal was 2.5K.

 

[ndbrown]

If the budget won't stretch as far as a new machine for the spec you want then I would look to try and pick up something secondhand, if you are happy to source yourself then all the usual web sites. If you want a little more reassurance and maybe some form of warranty maybe try a machine thats been traded in, so the guys at Hammer take used machines in against Hammer and Felder machines so that might be one option or similar at Scott and Sargeant and I am sure many others. Its personal preference on your preferred route so I would not try to convince you one route is better than another.
I had no trouble at all with my 2001 manufactured Minimax S45, bought off e-bay 7 years ago and sold for £250 more than I paid for it. My new Hammer N4400 with ceramic guides and table extensions arrived a month or so ago and it has also performed really well, the removable table extensions in particular have been great for resawing side rails for a king size bed. I would really have struggled to process these on the old set up. Good Luck in your search.
Nigel

 

[HungPhung]

Dear all,
I am using the Draper BS 315

It seems quite ok for me to cut accratelly (follow lines and curves ok). I am not sure the benefit of expensive one??

 

[ndbrown]

If you are happy with your bandsaw then no need to spend any more. If you need to re-saw harder woods in large sizes, say re-sawing Hard Maple or American White Oak with a 10 or 12" thickness then obviously you will realise quite quickly that you will need a larger/heavier machine. It absolutely depends on what you need your machine to do and what your budget allows. Some great secondhand bargains either way and new ones if you prefer that route.
nigel

 

[Ttrees]

I wouldn't be concerned whatsoever about getting a machine into your workshop on your own.
Plenty of folks think they will be lifting the full weight of the machine whilst lifting it...
This is not the case whatsoever
When I bought a new 200kg, 20" machine I was quite surprised the shop owner just tipped the saw back on its spine with very little effort.
When I realised the saw had to go back to the shop because of multiple problems , and I had an hour to get it on the trailer, and get going on a long trip back, I tell ya I had no problem doing the same.
Took the table off and back on the trailer carefully in less than five minutes.

My Griggio is 300kg and is about the limit of what bandsaw I can lift on my own...
I will say that I could have taken the wheels off to make the process easier, I will do so in future as my knees are a bit shot in the last few years.
A 200kg saw is not heavy whatsoever as the table weighs close to a third of this, which you would be taking off.
Transport the saw on its spine, and slide the saw off of some skids and onto a trolley and pick it up.
You can pivot the machine back up to the standing position with very little effort...
You could use a chair/box to rest the saw on to change position if you wished,
and easily pivot the machine back to its standing position which you could probably do with just two fingers since it's balanced in this position when beyond the 45 degrees lifting part.
after which Its more of a case of easing it to stand the saw gently upright.
I would just do it all in one lift, but for the Griggio I might do this method in future.

The only time you will notice the weight is when it goes from that balance point to its upright position, so you might want a thin sheet of ply for it to thud down onto, as it could chip the paint on the base when tipped upright again

Bottom line is large bandsaws can be handled easier than you think, because they spread the load out and can be lifted from multiple locations.
The opposite is a smaller bandsaw which is heavy everywhere, because the saw is
too short to have any fulcrum points for maneuvering, with every part being so close together it is not so handy.

Just make sure you bring the skids (thick fenceposts or whathaveyou) to make the job quicker to enable you to get your hands underneath and to also not damage any wires which may be coming out of the spine for the on/off switch.
I hope I've explained this well enough for folks to understand.
Good luck
Tom

 

[scubadoo]

My new Hammer N4400 .......

That's just mean teasing me with photos of that!!

I wouldn't be concerned whatsoever about getting a machine into your workshop on your own

I hope I've explained this well enough for folks to understand.
Good luck
Tom

Thanks so much Tom, that was great advice, I'll be sure to come back and read then when i finally get there. Almost makes me think i could manage the the SP500 or SO400 at S&S!

I'm definitely thinking that a good used hand model from someone like S&S might be a good option
Dave

 

[custard]

I've used a Hammer n4400 for six or seven years now, I agree with the previous poster that the table extensions are really useful. I upgraded to the ceramic guides, but to be honest I don't see that much benefit in most applications over the bearing guides. However, one feature that's both unique and useful in my work is the massive motor on the n4400, way bigger than any other bandsaw in its class. For most users it's probably overkill, but I regularly make saw cut veneers from very difficult timbers like Indian Rosewood or Cocobolo, and the n4400 sails through even at maximum cutting depth.

If you're likely to need similar applications, ie big sections of timber or really demanding deep ripping, then it might be worth digging that bit deeper. Alternatively Hammer/Felder hold an annual sale where they sell off their display models at a useful saving.